Mirror assembly with modular panels

ABSTRACT

An example mirror assembly includes a mirror having a front surface and a perimeter frame, a pivot member coupled to the perimeter frame and pivotable about a first axis, and a panel removably coupled to the pivot member such that the panel is pivotable with the pivot member about the first axis.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a mirror assembly, and specifically to a mirror assembly with removable modular panels.

BACKGROUND

Mirrors are commonly used during personal makeup application. When applying makeup, the person may use cosmetic products, such as brushes, pencils, lipstick, blush, and lotion. Accordingly, the workspace around the mirror is cluttered and certain products may not be readily accessible during application.

Accordingly, the present inventors have developed the mirror assembly of the present disclosure that includes one or more modular panels that are removably coupled to a mirror and hold different cosmetic products. Thus, the person uses the assembly to organize and declutter the workspace. The panels are easily decoupled from the mirror such that the user may customize the assembly with desired panels.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In certain examples, a mirror assembly includes a mirror having a front surface and a perimeter frame, a pivot member coupled to the perimeter frame and pivotable about a first axis, and a panel removably coupled to the pivot member such that the panel is pivotable with the pivot member about the first axis.

Various other features, objects, and advantages will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an example mirror assembly of the present disclosure with four modular panels in open positions.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the mirror assembly of FIG. 1 with the panels in closed positions.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the mirror assembly of FIG. 1 with one of the panels decoupled from a main mirror.

FIG. 4 is an exploded partial view of the assembly.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly along line 5-5 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5 with pivot members decoupled from a frame.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly along line 7-7 on FIG. 5 with the panel in an open position.

FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 7 with the panel in the closed position.

FIGS. 9-10 are perspective views of an example pivot member of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example panel of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An example embodiment of a mirror assembly 10 is disclosed herein below, and the assembly 10 depicted in FIGS. 1-11 is a freestanding vanity mirror. However, various features and/or components of the assembly 10 described herein below and depicted in FIGS. 1-11 can be used with other embodiments of mirror assemblies such as wall-mounted mirrors, mirrors mounted on vehicles, mirrors mounted on furniture, and/or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the mirror assembly 10 has a base 20 that rests on a horizontal surface (not shown; e.g., a desk, a table). A drawer module 21 is coupled with the base 20, and the drawer module 21 has a pair of slidable drawers 22. A main mirror 24 is coupled to the top of the drawer module 21, and the mirror 24 vertically extends away from the drawer module 21. The mirror 24 has a reflective front surface 25, and a perimeter frame 26 encircles the mirror 24. A back panel (not shown) on the opposite side of the front surface 25 protects the rear surface of the mirror 24 and is integrally formed with the perimeter frame 26. Note that FIG. 1 depicts vertical direction arrow V, horizontal direction arrow H, and lateral direction arrow L for clarity.

The perimeter frame 26 has a first side 27 and an opposite second side 28 horizontally spaced apart from each other. Each side 27, 28 extends along a side edge of the mirror 24, and the sides 27, 28 vertically extend parallel to each other. The sides 27, 28 are described in greater detail herein below. An arm 35 vertically extends from the top end of the perimeter frame 26, and a clamp 36 is pivotally coupled to the arm 35. The clamp 36 is for holding a communication device (not shown), such as a cell phone, vertically above the mirror 24. Reference is made U.S. application Ser. No. 16/718,455 filed Dec. 18, 2019, (which is hereby incorporated by reference) that discloses a mirror assembly having features and components that can be incorporated into the mirror assembly 10 of the present disclosure.

A plurality of panels 40 are pivotally coupled to the sides 27, 28 of the frame 26, and the panels 40 can be independently pivoted into different positions relative to the front surface 25 of the mirror. For example, FIG. 1 depicts each panel 40 pivoted into an open position such that a front surface 41 of each panel 40 faces away from the mirror 24 and toward the user (e.g., the front surface 41 faces in a first lateral direction depicted by arrow A). FIG. 2 depicts each panel 40 pivoted into a closed position such that the front surface 41 of each panel 40 faces toward the front surface 45 of the mirror 24 (e.g., the front surface 41 faces in a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction depicted as arrow B). Each panel 40 is coupled to the sides 27, 28 of the frame 26 via a pivot member 60 that is pivotally coupled to the frame 26. The pivot member 60 is described further herein below with reference to FIGS. 9-10, and the panel 40 is described further herein below with reference to FIG. 11.

The user can easily couple the panel 40 to the pivot member 60 such that the panel 40 and the pivot member 60 can be pivoted relative to the mirror 24. Furthermore, the user can easily decouple the panel 40 from the pivot member 60 such that a different panel can be coupled to the pivot member 60 to thereby change the functionality of the assembly 10. For example, the user can decouple a first panel 40A (FIG. 3) that has elastic brush receiving discs and subsequently couple a second panel 40B (FIG. 3) that has a makeup pencil storage bin with four compartments. Note that FIG. 3 also discloses a third panel 40C with five elastic brush receiving discs. An optional storage rack 100 holds the panels 40 that are not coupled to the assembly 10.

Now referring to FIGS. 4-11, the frame 26, the panels 40, the pivot member 60, and the connection therebetween are described greater detail. Note that although FIG. 4 depicts only the second side 28 of the frame 26, the features described herein below with respect to second side 28 may be included along the first side 27 of the frame 26 and/or the upper and lower ends of the frame 26.

The second side 28 of the frame 26 has a first end 29, an opposite second end 31 and a body 30 vertically spaced apart between the ends 29, 31. Two slots 34 are defined between the ends 29, 31 and the center body 30 (e.g., a first slot 34 is between the first end 29 and the body 30 and a second slot 34 is between the second end 31 and the body 30).

Each end 29, 30 has a projection 33 that faces and extends toward the body 30, and the body 30 has opposing holes 32. Note that the projection 33 of the first end 29 is depicted in dashed lines, and the lower hole 32 in the body 30 is also depicted in dashed lines. Further note that the upper hole 32 of the body 30 faces the projection 33 at the first end 29 and the lower hole 32 of the body 30 faces the projection 33 at the second end 31. The projections 33 and the holes 32 are aligned with each other and spaced apart relative to each other along an axis 38.

Turning now to FIGS. 9-10, the pivot member 60 is depicted in greater detail. The pivot member 60 has a first end 61 and an opposite second end 62. One of the ends 61, 62 has a projection 63 and the other end 61, 62 has a hole 69. Accordingly, the pivot member 60 is located in the one the slots 34 (FIG. 4) such that a projection 33 (FIG. 4) on the frame 26 is received into the hole 69 of the pivot member 60 and the projection 63 of the pivot member 60 is received in one of the holes 32 (FIG. 4) in the body 30 of the frame 26. Thus, the pivot member 60 is coupled to the frame 26 and the first axis 64 of the pivot member 60 is aligned with the axis 38 of the frame 26 (see FIG. 4).

The pivot member 60 also includes a recessed keyway 66 that extends along a second axis 67 that is radially offset and spaced apart from the first axis 64 (see FIG. 9). The second axis 67 is also parallel to the first axis 64. The keyway 66 extends between the ends 61, 62, and the keyway 66 is in an arm 70 that radially extends away from the first axis 64. The arm 70 is elongated between the ends 61, 62. A rib 68 (described further herein) is in the keyway 66. The size and/or shape of the keyway 66 can vary, and in the example depicted in FIGS. 6-7 the keyway 66 has a T-shaped cross-section.

Referring now to FIG. 11, an example panel 40 with a magnifying mirror is depicted. The panel 40 has a perimeter housing 42 and a key member 43 that extends away from one side of the housing 42. The key member 43 extends along an axis 44, and the key member 43 can be slidably received into the keyway 66 of the pivot member 60 (described further herein; see FIGS. 4 and 7-8). The size and/or shape of the key member 43 can vary, and preferably the size and/or shape of the key member 43 corresponds to the size and/or shape of the keyway 66. In the example depicted in FIG. 8, the key member 43 has a T-shaped cross-section.

To couple the panel 40 to the pivot member 60, the user aligns the key member 43 with the keyway 66 and then inserts the key member 43 into an opening at the first end 61 of the pivot member 60. The user then moves the panel 40 in a second direction (see arrow G on FIG. 4; note that the panel 40 is depicted decoupled from the pivot member 60 for clarity) such that the key member 43 slides in the keyway 66 until the key member 43 contacts the rib 68 (FIG. 9). When the key member 43 is in the keyway 66, the axis 44 of the key member 43 aligns with the second axis 67 along which the keyway 66 extends (see FIGS. 9 and 11). A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that when the key member 43 is in the keyway 66, the key member 43 cannot radially move out of the keyway 66. Instead, the key member 43 can only slide back out of the opening of the keyway 66 at the first end 61 of the pivot member 60 when the user moves the panel 40 in a first direction (see arrow H on FIG. 4).

In certain examples, the keyway 66 extends in the vertical direction and thus, the key member 43 will slide in the keyway 66 under force of gravity. In this example, the rib 68 will stop the key member 43 from sliding completely through keyway 66 and the key member 43 will rest on the rib 68. Note that the position of the rib 68 can vary, and FIG. 4 depicts a first pivot member 60 with the rib 68 in the keyway 66 and a second pivot member 60 with the rib 68 at the end of the keyway 68.

Note that the offset between the second axis 67 along which the keyway 66 extends and the first axis 64 advantageously permits the panel 40 to be pivoted flat against the mirror 24. That is, when the panel 40 is in the closed position (FIGS. 2 and 8), the front surface 41 of the panel 40 is adjacent to and parallel with the front surface 25 of the mirror 24. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that if the second axis 67 and the first axis 64 are aligned with each other, the panel 40 would not fold flat onto the mirror 24. FIG. 7 depicts the panel 40 pivoted into the open position.

The example assembly 10 depicted in FIG. 1 depicts two panels 40 coupled to each side 27, 28 of the frame 26. In other examples, a different number of panels 40 can be coupled to each side 27, 28 (e.g., a single large panel is coupled to one of the sides, three panels are coupled to one of the sides). Note that the number of bodies 30 and/or slots 34 can vary in different examples of the assembly 10 to thereby accommodate different numbers of panels 40. Also, in other examples, the panels 40 could be coupled to top end and the bottom end of the perimeter frame 26 with the same connection details as noted above with respect to the sides 27, 28 and the pivot member 60.

Referring to FIG. 1, the panels 40 are in a stacked configuration along the sides of the frame 26. Accordingly, the user cannot decoupled the lower panel 40 from the respective pivot member 60 when the upper and lower panels 40 lie in the same plane. That is, if the user attempts to move the lower panel 40 vertically upward (see arrow M), the lower panel 40 will contact the bottom edge of the upper panel 40. Thus, the user must move the lower panel 40 into a position different than the position of the upper panel 40 such that the lower panel 40 can be decoupled from the pivot member 60. For example, user pivots the lower panel 40 into the open position (FIG. 1) while the upper panel 40 remains in the closed position (FIG. 2). Thus in this example, the user can move and therefore decouple to the lower panel 40 from the frame 26.

Citations to a number of references are made herein. The cited references are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. In the event that there is an inconsistency between a definition of a term in the specification as compared to a definition of the term in a cited reference, the term should be interpreted based on the definition in the specification.

In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different apparatuses, systems, and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other apparatuses, systems, and methods. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mirror assembly comprising: a mirror having a front surface and a perimeter frame; a pivot member coupled to the perimeter frame and pivotable about a first axis; and a panel removably coupled to the pivot member such that the panel is pivotable with the pivot member about the first axis.
 2. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein when the panel is coupled to the pivot member, the pivot member and the panel are fixed relative to each other.
 3. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the panel is moved axially in a first direction along the first axis to thereby decouple the panel from the pivot member.
 4. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the panel is first panel, and further comprising a second panel that is coupled to the pivot member after the first panel is decoupled from the pivot member such that the second panel is pivotable about the first axis.
 5. The mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein each of the first panel and the second panel has a key member, and wherein the pivot member has a keyway in which the key member of the first panel or the second panel is received.
 6. The mirror assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first panel or the second panel is decoupled from the pivot member by moving panel is a first direction such that the key member is slid out of the keyway.
 7. The mirror assembly according to claim 6, wherein the pivot member has a rib in the keyway that prevents the key member of the first panel or the second panel from being moved in a second direction out of the keyway.
 8. The mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the keyway prevents radial movement key member.
 9. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pivot member has a keyway that extends along a second axis that is spaced apart from the first axis, and wherein the panel has a key member that is received into the keyway to thereby couple the panel to the pivot member.
 10. The mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein the panel is pivotable into and between an open position in which a front surface of the panel extends transverse to the front surface of the mirror and a closed position in which the front surface of the panel extends parallel to the front surface of the mirror.
 11. The mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein the second axis is parallel to the first axis.
 12. The mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein the perimeter frame has a slot that extends along the first axis in which the pivot member is located.
 13. The mirror assembly according to claim 11, wherein the pivot member has an arm that extends away from the slot.
 14. The mirror assembly according to claim 12, wherein the keyway is in the arm.
 15. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pivot member is a first pivot member and the panel is a first panel, and further comprising: a second pivot member coupled to perimeter frame and pivotable about the first axis; a second panel removably coupled to the second pivot member such that the second panel is pivotable with the second pivot member about the first axis.
 16. The mirror assembly according to claim 15, wherein the frame has a body located between the first pivot member and the second pivot member.
 17. The mirror assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first panel and the second panel are independently pivotable about the first axis into different positions relative to the mirror.
 18. The mirror assembly according to claim 15, wherein first panel and the second panel are vertically stacked along the first axis.
 19. The mirror assembly according to claim 18, wherein the first panel and the second panel are independently pivotable about the first axis into different positions; wherein the second panel is vertically below the first panel; and wherein the first panel is pivoted into a position in which the first panel is misaligned relative to the second panel such that the second panel can be decoupled from the second pivot member. 